“The little things in life” is a cliche. I hate cliches, especially in writing. But occasionally, something happens in my life that I couldn’t describe better than by calling it one of “the little things in life” that make it so great. That happened for me this weekend.

I took a road trip to camp with a couple of friends. We spent the weekend climbing hills, looking for deer trails and exploring a few caves that, had it been raining, would have had active waterfalls. Someone got it right when he built that place.

Perhaps the best part was sitting amid treetops on a massive bluff Saturday as the sun dropped below the hills and a cool fall breeze welcomed the night – the little things.

Later, we enjoyed one of my favorite pastimes: sitting around a campfire. It had been awhile since I built a fire. I movedfrom Ohiolast year and hadn’t had many opportunities to camp. I spend more time looking into a computer screen than watching waves of orange and yellow pulse from hot coals. I forgot how wet wood smokes and sap boils and everything cracks when the fire roars. I remedied that problem.

We cooked over the fire and routinely moved our chairs toward and away from the flames as it burnt down and we built it back up. I felt my lips go dry and chapped as the night progressed, but that didn’t stop me from smiling and laughing.

I hope it isn’t long before I get to go back. Leaves are falling, and fall weather is perfect for camping. I hope to make it a little thing that’s a big part of the rest of the season.